Enchantment
by IsabellaKirei
Summary: BA, WO, others later. In 1876 Ireland, Buffy and Angel meet. After being ambushed by vampires, they are sent to the future. WIP so read to find out more!
1. Chapter 1

Enchantment

Disclaimer: I don't own BtVS. Any characters you don't recognize are my own creation.

Summary: This is pure B/A with a little W/O and X/C thrown in to switch things up. Buffy and Angel meet in 1876 Ireland. After being attacked, they are magically sent into the future (2000s, I'm not sure when specifically). Please review, I'm trying to start up this story after years (literally, years). I hadn't been sure where I wanted to go with the plot, so advice is appreciated!

Chapter 1

1876, Ireland

As he watched the girl by the fire, he became anxious with suspicion. The young woman could not be any older then twenty and she was alone in the woods, by a fire in the middle of the night. He moved from his position in the bushes where he hid, his eyes still on her, to a closer spot by a tree. He moved swiftly, silently. There was something off about her, but he didn't back off. As he watched her stand up from her seat on a rock, he wondered what she would be doing under a full moon. Being outside, alone, during a full moon was a dangerous thing. He was the existing proof of why it was so dangerous and forbidden.

His name was Angel. He was a vampire, a creature of the night. He was cursed with a soul after he fed off a beloved gypsy girl. He was quiet and minded his business, feeding off of the blood of filthy rats. He had just came back from doing his share to keep this new town safe from any unwelcome visitors when he saw fire light in the woods. That's when he saw her.

By the looks of her, he would guess she was a witch, or a gypsy. They have a unique aura to them, and he sensed something un-normal about her. She had long, wavy blonde hair. She was petite, about a foot smaller than his six feet, and a trim curvy figure. She wore a flowing dress of black silk that dipped low into her chest. The top was a corset and she had a hooded cape loosely tied to a comfortable fit around her neck. He watched.

She jogged to her right for about five feet and did a flip, landing in a tumble. He moved a little closer. She flipped backwards towards the fire, stopping a couple feet in front of it in a fighting stance. The look on her face told him she was in deep concentration. She threw a couple punches into the air and then kicked to her side. She stopped, and paused, looking around as if she felt someone watching her. She jumped up and kicked, gently landing with a soft thud on the soft grass. A few roundhouses, punches, and blocks to an invisible attacker later, she stopped. Now convinced that she wasn't alone, she walked counterclockwise around the fire and started walking towards Angel. He dared not move and stood completely still. She paused, and then ran to where he was hiding. She jumped in front of him, holding a silver dagger towards his throat. Her emerald green eyes shined with danger, a warning in its own not to move or he would be dead.

"Who are you and what were you doing watching me?" Her voice was soft but threatening. He didn't know how to reply and she pushed the dagger closer towards his throat.

"Angel," his reply was quiet. He looked at her closely, finally realizing why she seemed so off. Every generation a girl was a chosen to defend the world against the demons and creatures and vampires. She was the slayer. This girl with a dagger up to his throat was the Slayer. "You're the slayer," his voice was confident and she looked startled.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing. What is your name?"

"That's not your concern. Why were you watching me?" She dropped the dagger from his throat, still keeping it in her hand in case he made a move towards her.

"I saw a fire. You shouldn't be out here alone. This part of the woods isn't safe for a young girl to be out here alone."

"I can take care of myself."

"Well, it's amazing how most slayers die. Slacking off, not paying close attention, being ambushed in a trap. Talking to vampires."

Hearing his last comment, she gasped, her eyes going wide, realizing how open to an attack she was. Her free hand made a fist and solidly connected with his jaw, the sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed through the night. He didn't react.

"I don't want to hurt you." His voice was still gentle; he could feel her fear deep down inside of him. She took a step back, but kept herself on alert, her body tense. He spoke again, looking into her eyes. She stared back, his dark eyes looking like pools of Spanish chocolate. For a moment she was lost in his dark, brooding looks. He had black hair, down to his cheekbones. His face was clean-shaven and pale. His lips were a reddish pink, enticing her to kiss him whenever he spoke. He was tall, a foot taller then herself, and muscular. His white shirt was slightly unbuttoned and she got a glimpse of his strong chest. "I want to help. Don't be afraid of me." She nodded once, unsurely. "What is your name?" He asked her again, hoping for an answer.

"It's not your concern."

"I'm Angel. I'll be seeing you around. You can count on it." He started to walk away when she called out to him.

"Buffy!"

"What?" He was confused. What was a 'Buffy'?

"My name. It's Buffy. I guess you should know it if you're intent on seeing me again." He smiled, and she blushed, looking down at the ground. Why did he make her turn to complete mush? She should be careful, secretive. No one should know anything about her. If too many people die, and the vampires find out who she is, it's all over with. He turned on his heel, grinning, and walked away. She stared after this mysterious Angel and wondered when she would see him again.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
"Buffy!" No response. "Buffy Anne Summers, wake up this instant!" Rupert Giles was beyond upset. He was mad. No, he was furious, livid, enraged, and irate. It was impossible for anyone to describe how he felt. Completely beside himself, he had not one single clue as how to deal with his independent slayer that has found it completely unnecessary to report to him after patrolling. How on Earth was he supposed to know if she was OK if she didn't show up?  
  
The middle aged watched looked at her and frowned. She didn't seem to be injured. In that case, it was completely fine to pour this glass of well water and ice on to her face while she was in her warm bed. He dumped the glass on her and she shot awake, shrieking and howling profanities in which he was sure that only pirates used. Looking around, she noticed her watcher and glared. It did no good; he only stood there looking proud of himself.  
  
"What did you think you were doing?" Buffy had better have a good reason, he thought.  
  
"I was sleeping, thank you very much. What were you doing?" He started to wipe her face off with her blanket. He had serious problem if this is how he thought she should be woken up after a night of patrolling. She couldn't understand what bug crawled up his butt.  
  
"Why did you not report to me after your patrol last night?" Oh, she thought. The forgetful, tired bug called Buffy.  
  
"Oh. I'm really, really, truly sorry Giles, I forgot. I was so tired that I just completely blanked out. All I could think of was getting some sleep." He scowled at the young woman. She did look apologetic.  
  
"If you do this again, I will have no choice but to marry you off to some boring, old, self centered noble man." He knew what she didn't want to do. Getting married was least on her list of things to do in the next five years. And, to top it off, marrying someone old and boring and self centered was enough to make Buffy cringe. And a noble man? She despised the rich. It was because of them that her father worked himself to death.  
  
"I swear I won't Giles. But does this mean I have to go to that dreadful ball tonight?" He grinned the same cat ate the canary smile as he did when he dumped the ice water over her face. She groaned.  
  
"Come on Buffy, let's pick out what dress you will wear tonight". 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
The ball was to be held for all of the people that lived in Galway, and that included all slayer, vampires, nobles, and peasants. No one was to be spared. A tradition, the Ball of Enchantment was to collect money for charity and for parents to set their children up. It was to be a fun night of love, flirting, charity, and reunions. Only those over the age of sixteen were allowed in, as it was an "adult" activity.  
  
Buffy wore a red, long gown. It was off the shoulder, and came into a v- neck. Her hair was up and curled, tendrils falling along the side of her face. Her lips were stained a berry color, and her cheeks were blushing. As she walked into the ball- room of the Rosenberg's mansion, all the eyes of the men glanced at her and widened. Ugh, she thought, just what I need. A bunch of old, sexually deprived men gawking at me like a piece of meat. She looked around and saw her best friend, Willow. Willow and her husband Osbourne owned the mansion. Osbourne was usually referred to as Oz. They've been married for about 3 years, they met at this same ball when Willow was sixteen and Oz was seventeen. Ever since then, they have requested that the ball be held at their home.  
  
As usual, the fair red head looked gorgeous and sophisticated. A thin link of diamonds adorned her throat, and she wore a black low cut gown. Her hair was half-pulled back, and the rest down, randomly curled.  
  
"Buffy!" Willow called out and waved. Buffy smiled. Not all rich people were snobby.  
  
"Hi Willow! How are you?" They hugged tightly and smiled.  
  
"I'm great. Guess what?"  
  
"Um.I can't imagine."  
  
"I'm pregnant! Oz and I are going to have a baby!"  
  
"Will, congratulations! I'm so happy for you." Buffy smiled as a pang of jealousy stabbed her heart. As much as she didn't want to marry snobby, rich, old men, didn't mean that she didn't want to marry and start a family of her own.  
  
"Buffy, there is someone I want you to meet. He is a longtime friend of Oz, and he is absolutely stunning."  
  
"I don't know, I don't really like being set up."  
  
"Oh, come on. Think of it as pleasant company for the night while I am forced to endure brutally boring conversations with people I don't even want to know." Buffy sighed at her friend's hopeful look.  
  
"Fine. But this doesn't mean anything! It's just for company, because Giles didn't want to come."  
  
"Where is the old watcher anyway?" Will had known about Buffy's secret life as long as Buffy had known. Willow had helped with research, and kept many books in her personal library. And, as only close friends knew, she even practiced witchcraft and spells to keep her friend safe. If the cities people knew, she'd be burned at the stake for sure.  
  
"He is punishing me. I was too tired to report after patrol last night, and went to bed. He came in this morning to wake me up with a big, freezing glass of water." Willow laughed. She could only imagine the scene that had played out earlier that day.  
  
"Oh, there he is. Let me introduce you." Willow grabbed Buffy's hand and briskly walked over to a man with dark hair. Walking up to him, Willow tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned around, Buffy gasped. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
Both Willow and the dark haired stranger stared at Buffy. "Buffy, are you ok?" Willow asked. She couldn't imagine fathom was wrong with her friend. Why was she just staring?  
  
"Oh, nothing Willow. Never mind. Your friend just looked like someone I met recently." Willow knew there was more to it than that, but decided not to push it.  
  
"Oh, alright. Well, I'll introduce you two. Angel, this is Buffy Summers. Buffy, this is Angel O'Conner. I hope you too have fun. I have to go and find my husband. We will meet up later!" With a satisfied smile, Willow left the two to stare at each other. Angel cleared his throat.  
  
"So, you know Willow." It was a statement, and it was obvious he was trying to make conversation.  
  
"Yeah, we're close. How do you know her?"  
  
"Oz and I go way back. We got into trouble together when we were younger." Buffy grew curious. Does he know about Oz being a werewolf? How long ago are they talking?  
  
"I see. Willow and I grew up together. We were neighbors and are parents were close friends."  
  
"Willow is great. I'm thirsty, may I get you a drink too?"  
  
"Yeah, thank you Angel. A drink would be great. White wine, please." He nodded and walked off. Buffy took a deep breath. All she could think of was how gorgeous he looked in a suit. He obviously cut his hair for this affair. It was short, and spiky. She thought it looked adorable. Still deep in her thoughts, she didn't realize the dirty blond man walking up to her.  
  
"Excuse me, miss, but may I offer you a drink?" She looked up. The man wasn't bad looking, but definitely not as attractive as Angel.  
  
"No thank you, someone's already gone to get me one." She looked away, trying to signal her disinterest. He didn't get the point.  
  
"My name's Reily. And you are?"  
  
"Not interested, sorry."  
  
"You're feisty, aren't you? I like that in a woman."  
  
"You're annoying. I despise that in a man. Please, leave me alone." She gave him a dirty look, and started to walk towards the table that Angel was getting their drinks from. Reily stepped in front of her before she could get anywhere.  
  
"Your date can wait while we talk. What do you say we go upstairs for a little alone time?"  
  
"Do you want me to hurt you?"  
  
"Only if it turns you on too."  
  
"Jesus, you are one sick person. Leave me."  
  
"Is there a problem here?" Buffy looked behind her and saw Angel. He wrapped his arms protectively around her and handed drink to her. Reily looked shocked, but quickly recovered.  
  
"Angelus, so nice to see you again. Are you here with Darla?" Jealousy flowed through Buffy, and she tried to shake it off.  
  
"Darla and I are not together anymore. Please leave my wife and I alone," then he growled, "now."  
  
Reily turned and walked away, but not before replying, "This isn't over, Angelus."  
  
"It never is," Angel mumbled. "It never is." He released Buffy and she took a sip of her wine. The cool liquid chilled her throat and tingled her lips. She looked at him.  
  
"Sorry about holding you like that. Reily doesn't seem to like me, but he has enough sense to leave someones spouse alone in public places."  
  
"Hey, don't worry about it. Anything to get him away from me." They both smiled. He held out his hand and asked "Would you like to go for a walk with me?" She nodded and took his hand.  
  
The air was cool, and breezy. The backyard was huge, and had a fairy- tale feel to it. Lots of trees and flowers surrounded a secluded stone walkway. The stars were twinkling and the moon gave just enough light to cast a pale glow around the couple. They walked along the stone walkway until they came to a white stone bench that faced a fountain. It was an irregular shape, with a female fairy shooting water out of her lips and a wand that her outstretched arms held in their hands.  
  
They sat on the bench and looked at the fountain, both thinking of how much they didn't want the moment to end. There was a comfortable silence between the two until Buffy broke it.  
  
"Did you know I was going to be here tonight?" He turned and looked at her. She was still staring at the fountain.  
  
"Why do you ask?"  
  
"You didn't seem all that surprised to see me here."  
  
"Yes, I knew. I've been. following you. Making sure you are ok. Slayers are strong, but you're not strong enough. You will be, in time. But I worry."  
  
"Why? And how do you know I am the slayer?" She turned to face him on her right.  
  
"I know a lot of things. I have been called to help you."  
  
"What are you?" Suddenly, there was noise coming from a nearby bush. They both looked up to the spot it came from, instantly becoming quiet. Slowly, they got up and walked close to it. The same noise came from a bush on the other side. Buffy looked at Angel, and he mouthed "I think we're being watched." She slid a stick out from under her dress. He pulled one out of his sleeve, and they both stood rigid in fighting stance, one facing one bush, the other the other bush that was to the left of the bench they were just sitting on not three minutes ago.  
  
As soon as they were about to question the odd silence that fell upon the bushes, six vampires rushed out of the bushes, prepared for attack. Buffy called out "They've ambushed us!" 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
The vampires rushed at them and immediately the couple began to fight. Using moves she had practiced just the night before, she flipped over one vampires back so she was facing his face. "You really shouldn't have messed with me." With a hard right hook to his stomach, and a roundhouse kick to his chest, she said, "But, you won't get a second chance." After an uppercut to his jaw, she staked him. One down, five two go. She looked at Angel to make sure he was keeping up. She knew a human would have trouble fighting, but she didn't know that he wasn't one.  
  
Behind a tree, three unknown vampires gathered in a circle, chanting around a black candle.  
  
He kicked the vampire with his right leg straight up to it's head. The wrinkled face whipped back, and tried to recover with a side- kick. Angel used the vampires disadvantage to his advantage. Grabbing the vampire's foot, he flipped him over so it landed on its back. In a swift movement, the vampire was a pile of dust.  
  
Looking around, Angel saw Buffy holding her own. This vampire was new, probably his first actual fight. It didn't even have a chance. She almost felt sorry for it. Almost. Angel felt something behind him and kicked it in the head as he whipped around. He punched it in the face three times, and staked it. Meanwhile, Buffy had knocked the vampire onto the ground. Just as he was trying to push himself up, she slammed the stake home. Two more down, one to go. Looking around, she saw that Angel had just finished staking one, and she couldn't help but wonder where the last one went. "Where in hell did he-" she started to say.  
  
"Buffy! Duck!" Angel's voice called out. Too late, the missing vampire had already smashed her in the back of her head with a huge, fallen tree branch. She fell down, and hit her head on the edge of the fountain. The last thing she remembered seeing was Angel charging after the vampire and slamming into it with his broad shoulder. She muttered "Angel." before everything went back.  
  
".With all the black magic known to me, The slayer and traitor are to be Sent to a far away dimension Never to return."  
  
The chant was over. The three vampires were about to finish their spell.  
  
Angel punched the vampire that attacked Buffy.  
  
The first of the three vampires sprinkled powder into the flame that the third was holding. "My will is done." He staked himself. Without him, there was less of a chance for someone on the slayers side to reverse what he did. You can't fix it if you don't know what happened.  
  
The vampire kicked Angel in the face. He was stronger than the others. Much stronger.  
  
The second vampire ripped up the piece of paper with the spell on it and let the flame devour it. "My will is done." He, too, staked himself.  
  
Angel gave the vampire a hard roundhouse to its face. The sound of the vampire's cheek breaking echoed in Angel's ear. Blood poured from it's nose. Angel went in for the kill.  
  
The third vampire smiled menacingly. He whispered, "My will is done," and blew out the candle. Dropping it next to him into a pre-dug hole, he plunged the stake into himself.  
  
Evil will reign with the slayer in another world. She wouldn't be dead therefore another slayer would not be called. The plan was fool proof.  
  
Angel thrust the stake into the vampire's unbeating heart. As it turned to dust, Angel saw Buffy's body enclosed in a black glow. He tried to run to her, but looking at himself, he realized that his body was also glowing black.  
  
A moment later, both fighters disappeared. 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I have to thank the reviews I've gotten. It's really supportive, and encouraging. ( Keep it up! I luv you guys!  
  
  
  
Chapter 7  
  
While Buffy had walked through the town of Sunnydale, she was completely stunned. It was nothing like it was back home. But nether the less, it was still beautiful. The sky was completely open, and there wasn't so much light that you couldn't see the stars. Kendra told her that they were in Sunnydale, California. If Buffy remembered right, California was in America. She was actually in America! When she told Angel of her excitement, he only replied that he had been there before. New York, to be specific. Oh well, she thought. Not everyone was as lucky as he was. Especially when they were a slayer confined to one town, never mind country.  
  
Walking through the doors, Buffy grew nervous. What if these new people couldn't help her and Angel? Or, what if they didn't even want to?  
  
"Mr. Giles! I need your assistance!" Kendra called out to her watcher, and he stepped out from his office. When Buffy saw him, she nearly fainted. It was Giles! She ran up to him and gave him a hug, nearly squeezing the life out of him. Once she let go, he looked at her peculiarly.  
  
"Giles! Oh, you won't believe this. After I went to the ball, like you said, Angel and I went outside for some fresh-" She stopped at his strange look. He looked as if he had never seen her before. But he must know who she is! He had the same name and was identical looking to her own watcher. How could he not be the same person?  
  
"I'm sorry, miss.err, what did you say your name was?"  
  
"Buffy. It's Buffy. Giles, why are you acting so weird? Why can't you remember me? You're my watcher." She got quiet and looked to Angel for help. He walked over to her.  
  
"Buffy, maybe this isn't him. Just because they look the same, doesn't necessarily mean that they are the same person."  
  
"Uh, err, well, Buffy. I'm Rupert Giles, as you probably now know. I'm Kendra's watcher. Are you the same Buffy that was the slayer in Ireland in the mid- 1800's?" Buffy nodded his head; just thankful he had a slight idea who she was.  
  
"Yeah, that's me."  
  
"This certainly is fascinating, you've risen from the dead. Is there trouble that you are to warn us about? An approaching apocalypse?"  
  
"No, I, well, we, Angel and I, don't even know why we're here. One minute we were in Ireland after being attacked by vampires, and the next I woke up in a cemetery. What year is it?"  
  
"It's December of 2002."  
  
"Oh. ok." Buffy didn't know what to say. What could she say? She was somehow just transported almost 130 years into the future. If only her real watcher knew how much trouble she'd gotten into now.  
  
"Buffy, and Angel, did you say his name was?" Buffy nodded, she was close to tears by this point. She just wanted to get home. "You two should get some rest. I'll call Willow and maybe you can stay with her and Oz for the night, until we figure this mess out. Is that ok with you?" A tear slid down Buffy's face. Willow? Oz? Did all the people in her past have to be in her future? Could this make her feel any worse? Angel answered before her after a long pause.  
  
"Yeah, staying with Willow and Oz would be great."  
  
It was settled then. For the rest of the night, Buffy and Angel would be staying with Willow and Oz. In the morning they would all get together again and try to sort this whole thing out. Buffy tried to look on the bright side. Maybe Willow and Oz were the same lovable people that the will and Oz she knew were. And maybe they could tell her something about this world. If nothing else, at the very least, she would be able to spend some time alone with Angel. The thought made her grin. 


	7. Chapter 7

The night at Willow's had not been comfortable. This is not to say that Willow and Oz were unwelcoming. On the contrary, they were extremely welcoming, yet curious about the new couple from the past. This, for Buffy, was the problem. Seeing someone she was so close to in her own life now has absolutely no idea who she was, was unsettling and upsetting. Fortunately, Willow's personality was the same as her own Willow's back home. The redhead even let her borrow some more up to date clothes, as her evening gown wasn't exactly appropriate to wear in Sunnydale. Silently, she prayed that they would become friends. She would need someone to talk to about everything going on, especially about Angel.

Giles had not had a peaceful night either. After staying awake til the wee hours of the morning pondering why Angel seemed so familiar, he consulted the Watcher Diaries. "You bloody fool," he muttered to himself, "how could you have forgotten?" Angel, the slayers companion, was the infamous Angelus. He was not only known for being one of the most brutal vampires to walk the Earth, but for being the only vampire with a soul. The soul was a curse by the Romani gypsies, who wanted him to suffer after he killed one of their own. He would remember every innocent he killed and for the rest of eternity, forever guilty with reminders of the demon that once controlled his body.

The next evening, Buffy, Angel, Willow, and Oz walked into the library ready to start researching how and why Buffy was in the future. Giles, on the other hand, was much more interested in questioning the two, much like Willow had the night before. Sitting around the large wooden table, they got

"Buffy, would you mind telling me exactly what happened last night," Giles asked, taking his glasses off and wiping them with the hem of his shirt.

"Okay, well, I went to a ball at my friend Willow's. It's a charity ball and all the people of Galway are allowed to attend, including demons. Everything seemed to be going fine until Angel and I were ambushed by vampires. We were fighting them off fine and then we were suddenly glowing black and then poof! We ended up here." She tried to explain her ordeal as best she could, trying not to leave any details out.

"Did you see anyone else around you? Angel, do you remember anything out of the ordinary?"

Angel thought for a moment, looking down at the table, and shook his head. "No, that's pretty accurate."

Giles sighed. With only vampires to go on, they were never going to find an answer. "So, uh, Angel… Could I speak with you alone in my office, please?" If he wasn't going to get answers about the time travel, he most certainly wanted to speak with the vampire about himself and how he paired up with Buffy. The two rose and walked into the librarian's office, closing the door behind them.

"I know what you're going to ask," Angel started. "Let me tell you from the beginning. You've most likely heard of my situation. I have a soul. It's a curse from a clan of gypsies meant to make me suffer for the rest of my life. I couldn't handle the pain of knowing how vicious of an animal I was so I isolated myself from people, thinking it would protect them. Years later, a man by the name of Whistler came to me. Basically, he told me I could try to redeem myself, and that there was a young slayer I could help. Buffy. She had no family, just some friends and a watcher, but she was only recently called. I started to watch her and follow her, trying to keep her safe. We met just before this happened. Whistler said something big was going to happen and it would change history forever, but he left before I could ask him anything more."

The watcher nodded his head. "I had heard rumors going around of a prophecy that a champion was going to assist the slayer. I just hadn't thought they would be from the past. I assumed if it happened, it would happen to Kendra, the slayer in, uh, this century. I'll go and consult my books, see if I can find anything more on this prophecy."

Getting more excited at having something specific to research, he all but ran out of his tiny office into his stacks, leaving the rest of the group to talk amongst themselves. In the meantime, Willow had been telling Buffy about herserself and her friends. After telling the blonde slayer about her boyfriend being a werewolf and her own wiccan talents, Willow tried to make her smile with stories of her friends, Xander and Cordelia. "You'll meet them soon, they're probably fooling around in a broom closet somewhere around here!" She giggled, remembering times when the two were caught by the evil Principal Snyder. He had it out for them, checking any closed door when he walked though the hallways, hoping he would catch them at it again.

Buffy smiled politely, not wanting to be rude to the friendly girl who was trying to include her. But she just couldn't focus on the love affair this couple was having when she was in a completely different century. All she wanted to do was go home, and since she obviously wasn't doing that anytime soon, the second best option was to slay.

Sensing her anxious mood, Angel cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Willow. How about we all go out on a patrol? See if we can find out any information."

The three looked up at him and smiled. A good ass kicking was just what the slayer, werewolf and witch needed.


	8. Chapter 8

They walked to the largest cemetery in Sunnydale, which also happened to be the darkest. With no light to help them make their way, Angel and Buffy were the only ones who could see anything. Willow and Oz, holding hands, followed close behind.

Following Angel's lead, Buffy and the group weaved in and out of gravestones looking for signs of vampires. Buffy looked out across the graveyard, mentally taking note of everything she saw. It stunned her that such a small town had so many deceased people. _It must be the vampires_, she thought. She thought she had heard Giles mention to Kendra that Sunnydale was on one of the biggest Hellmouths in America. A thought passed through her mind and she felt guilty. _If Kendra is a good slayer, why are there so many deaths in this place? _She shook her head, understanding how hard it must be for Kendra to keep some sort of control over the town. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that she could do better.

Their patrol was relatively uneventful. In hours, they had only dusted a couple vampires, who hadn't even been out looking for a meal. They actually seemed to be sneaking around, trying to get out unnoticed. But by who? Angel felt uneasy at the lack of the undead in the town. Everything seemed a little too peaceful, a little too quiet, and way too suspicious. He looked back at his blonde headed friend, wondering what she was thinking, but she didn't notice his gaze. He secretly wished they were back in their own time and didn't have to worry about trying to get home. Maybe that way he could get to know her more. Despite his hopes of kindling a romantic relationship with Buffy, deep down he knew it would never happen. A slayer and a vampire, souled or not, were not meant to be together. How could she even be attracted to someone who was cold, who didn't have a heartbeat, who drank blood? _No, _he thought, _I don't stand a chance with her_. He sighed.

They all decided to go back to Willow and Oz's apartment. However, once Oz unlocked the door with his key and opened it, he stopped dead in his tracks.

"What's wrong, honey?" Willow asked, concerned at her boyfriend's odd behavior. He stepped back, allowing the rest of his friends to see what he had been staring at in disbelief.

The living room was trashed. And not in a messy sense of the word. The couches were flipped over and slashed. Pictures hanging on the wall were thrown haphazardly around the room. The television was knocked over, the screen shattered. The only thing left in tact was a coffee table, moved into the center of the room. The foursome's eyes slowly moved over to it. On the coffee table was a Willow's glass cake platter. On the cake platter was Kendra's head, carefully placed, with blood flowing down the stand like soupy icing.


	9. Chapter 9

Willow turned around and threw up in the hallway, the image of her friends head seared into her mind. "Oh, God. Oh, God," she choked out, tears gliding down her face. Oz immediately started to rub her back, trying to comfort her in anyway he could. Buffy and Angel stood, staring at the former slayer, too stunned to speak. Finally, Buffy spoke quietly.

"Oz, where does Giles live? We need to tell him." The werewolf took out his cell phone and handed it to Buffy, who looked at it in confusion. Suddenly remembering she had no idea what a cell phone was, he sheepishly took it back.

"I can call him. He has a phone at his house." Buffy merely nodded, not wanting to ask more questions on their technology. Willow and Oz had gone over much of it with her earlier in the day while Angel was still sleeping, but she still did not understand everything. He dialed the number and spoke to the older man quietly, relating the sad story to him. Buffy carefully stepped over the debris on Willow's carpet, heading for the coffee table. Her eyes welled with tears as she wondered if this happened because of her.

It took Giles roughly ten minutes to rush over to the apartment. As soon as he saw his slayer's head, he had to suppress the urge to vomit. He had seen many mutilated and decapitated bodies before, but not of people he cared for. Kendra was the closest thing he had to a daughter. He walked into the room and towards the bathroom to get a towel. They would bury what they had, even if they could not find the rest of her.

Angel quietly walked over to the broken chair Buffy was carefully sitting on. He unsurely reached out and rested his hand on her shoulder, wanting to let her know he was there for her, but at the same time not wanting to overstep his boundaries. He knew how hard it was to see things like this. Whether or not you know the person, it still affected you. He flashed back to when he was cursed and the images of all the people he had killed and tortured flooded his mind.

Once Giles had wrapped Kendra's head, he motioned the stricken group into the kitchen. He took a deep breath and started to talk about what had happened after they left to patrol.

"Kendra had been researching with me. We were looking for the prophecy and demons having to do with time travel, or something close to it. She started to get uneasy and said something about sensing something weird. I asked her if it was a vampire, but she said no. It was stronger, more powerful. She decided she was going to go out and take a walk around the building, then head over to your apartment," he said this looking at Willow, "and let you all know something was up. She never made it."

They all stayed silent, each thinking about the young woman who had been killed. Angel broke the silence, commenting on the situation from his own, well, Angelus' past experiences.

"Whoever did this didn't just want her dead. They wanted to send a message. If they only wanted her dead, they would have killed her and left her. This… this is something else entirely. When I was Angelus, I… I would do anything I could to torture my victims." He paused.

"Who's Angelus?" Buffy asked, and the rest of the group looked at him expectantly, waiting for an answer. Giles waited patiently, thinking Angel had an idea of what was going on. Wanting Angel to be able to think, he whispered to Buffy that he would explain later.

Angel's sad eyes looked at Giles. "Darla," he whispered. Red flashed before his eyes and in a moment of complete fury he stood up and slammed his hands onto the table. "I should have known that bitch would have had something to do with this," he growled.

Shocked, Giles questioned him, "Darla? Your sire?"

Angel nodded. "I learned from the best."

The younger friends looked at him and then at each other, completely lost at what was going on. But they knew they would find out soon enough.


End file.
